Mounting of gymnastic equipment



A. S. MOYER MOUNTING OF GYMNASTIC EQUIPMENT July 12, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet1 Filed March 6, 1958 INVENTOR. AUSTIN S. MOYER ATTORNEYS July 12, 1960A. s. MOYER MOUNTING OF GYMNASTIC EQUIPMENT s Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March6, 1958 INVENTOR. AUSTIN S. MOYER i -MA ATTORNEYS July 12, 1960 A. s.MOYER 2,944,815

MOUNTING OF GYMNASTIC EQUIPMENT Filed March 6, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3INVENTOR. 3 AUSTIN s. MOYER :i L l Lb we f 46 46 ATTORNEYS 7 2,944,815MOUNTING or GYMNASTIC E UIP ENT Austin s. Meyer, Rte. 3, Box 212,Dundee, .Oreg. Filed Mar. 6, 1958, Ser. No; 719,681

' .z-claims. Cl. 172-60) The present invention relates to improvementsinfgymnastic equipment mountings, andpar'ticularly "for use with bothindoor and outdoor gymnastic equipment.

The primary object of the invention is to provide gymnastic equipmentmounting including auniversal base support having supporting standardsmounted there- United St t P n portat-ion or storage.

on adapted to -be used in, connection with practically 7 every form ofgymnastic and playground equipment.

Another object of this invention is toprovide agsupport-ing'base thatcanbe-placed onv a level surface, such :as the floors 'of gymnasiums,basements, or the like,

using the usualmats on top of'the same;andin1thefcase:adjustablesupporting standards that can tb-e readily adjusted forsupporting all forms ofequipment.

Another object of this invention is ,to provide asupporting base andsupporting standardsthat canbe adof outdoor ;structures the baseiscountersunk-into-the Patented July 1.2, 1960 "ice 'tratesdhe' basevandstandards; supporting a trampoline. Figure 9 isa perspective view of ateeter board mounted on the upper endroi the standards.

Figure'lO is a front elevation of the invention which illustrates abackboard for basket balls mounted upon the standards and shown inraised position.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of an attachment associated with theupper ends of the standards.

, Figure 12 is a perspective view of another attachment to the upperends "of the standards used for special exer- ClSlIlg.

Figure 13 is an end view of'the buck shown in Figure' 7, partially'broken away illustrating the construction of the same. Figure 14 is aplan view of an alternate form of base, illustrating'how the same can beseparated for trans- Referring now to the drawings in detail whereinlike reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the severalfigures, the reference character M indicates generally a mounting forgymnastic equipment constructed in accordance with the invention.

' 'The gymnastice quiprnent mounting Mincludes' a base B- made of resinpressed plywood or other sheetvmate- .rial. Mou'ntedadjustably on thebase B areupwardly extending identical standards S. "The standards Seach include a'vertical hollowsupporting leg 14. The leg 1 .14'issupported in its vertically extending position by apair of braces -1'5."The lower ends of the leg 14 and 'brac'es15 operatew'ithin spacedparallel slots 16 formed in the base B.

'justed as to height and equipment'to be'usedrfromchil'd- H ,hoodthrough adult life forcontinuousphysicaldevelopment programs.

And a still further object of .this invention is to vide mounting meansattaching to a base; gymnastic equipment for the developing andexercising of all parts of the body. Heretofore, the various gymnasticequipment had to have ,very. heavy, individual expensive supportingbases, but wi'th this invention one' baseis adapted to all .types ofequipment, thereby eliminating considerable cost and expense to theuser.

Another object of this mventien'is-to provide acorn- 'plete set ofgymnastic-equipment which can ;-'be easily "dismantled andstored in aminimum amount of space;

'Other objects and advantages =will 'become-"appar'ent in the followingspecification when considered in the light of the attached drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention with parts broken awayfor convenience of illustration.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevational detail view of the upper endsofthestandards.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the invention illustrating its usewith gymnastic equipment on a lower level, partially broken away forconvenience of illustration.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of.

Aslseen in Figures 4 andS, the lower ends of the leg 14 and braces 15have 'flanges' 17 associated therewith and arrangedto bear against thelower surface of 'the base B, preventing the standard S from beingpulled upwardly through the slot 16. The flanges 17 "are provided withinternally and externally threaded sockets 18 which are threaded ontothe lower ends of lthe leg 14 and the braces '15. 'Washers 19 areengaged over the sockets 18 and a. nut 20 is then tightened thereagainst grippingthe edges of the jslotsfi16betweenihe flange 17 l andthe-washers 1-9. A look nut 21-threaded on the leg 14=and braces 15isthen brought'into action, locking the whole assembly tightly inposition. ,7

When-the device is *to'be used for supportinghigh gymnasticequipmenn'vertical extension supporting members "22 are telescopedwithin the upper --ends .of the "legs 14 and held in vertically adjustedpositionby a'pin '23, passing" through an opening'in 'thele'g 14 and oneof the; ope "in'gs "24 formed in the 1 member 22; The height of themembers 22 can be somewhat adjusted by the location selected for passingthe pin 23 through the same. Special fittings 25 are vertically slidablymounted .on' the members 22 and are held in place at the desiredelevation by fastening pins 26 which pass through a selected one of theopenings 24- located in the members 22.

'. When the device is used as in Figure l, the horizontal bars 27 passthrough fittings 25 and arelocked in fixed position by set screws 28.Eye bolts 29 are threaded into a fitting 30 located on the upper end ofthe member 22 to receive hooks 31 of guy wires 32, bracing the verticalmembers 22. Guy wires 313 secure the vertical members horizontally. Thelower end of the guy wires32 are anchored by turnbuckles 34, asillustrated in Figure 1.

Again referring to Figure 1, a trapeze 35 is supported by the horizontalbar 27. Rings 36 as well as a swing 37 are illustrated in broken lines,showing their attachment to the horizontal bar 27.

A low or high vault bar 38, indicated by broken lines,

may also be mounted on the members 22 upon vertically adjustablesupporting brackets 39. Mats 40 are placed on top of the base B. Themats 40 are provided in the form of strips or. sections so that as thesupporting standards S are moved-closeror further apart, they can berearranged as illustrated in Figures 1 and3.

Referring now to Figure 3, the mounting M is shown used for supportinggymnastic equipment on a lower level with the supporting legs 14relatively close together. The vertical members 22 have been removed andthe standards S are brought closer togethenso that horizontal bars 41will be properly spaced. The horizontal bars 41 have legs 42-telescopedin the upper ends of the legs 14 of-the standards S and locked thereinby the pins 23.

Referring to *Figure 6, I'illustrate a horse 43 having downwardlyextending legs'44 telescoped'into the legs 14 and secured therein by thecross pin 23. The standards S are illustrated adjusted horizontally toanintermediate position between that shown in Figures 1 and 3,

demonstrating that virtually any be mounted upon the base B.

Referring to Figure 7, I illustrate a'buck 45 supported type ofequipment can upon legs 46'telescoped Within the upper ended the 5'supporting legs 14 of the standards'S. 'In this case the standards S arebrought relatively close together.

Referring .to Figure 8, a trampoline 37 is shown mounted upon all fourstandards S on its individual supporting legs 48. Referring to Figure11, special supporting members 49 are telescoped into the supportinglegs 14, adjusted for any desired elevation and locked in place by thepin 23. The upper ends of the members 49 are bent at right angles in theform of bars 50 for use as hand grips for performing Various types ofgymnastics. Referring to Figure 12, the bars 50 are shown turned to faceone another supporting a chinning bar 51.

Referring to Figure 9, I illustrate a teeter board 52 mounted on theupper ends of the standards S by a spe- Referring to Figure 4, I haveillustrated the base B lowered into a pit 56 when used out-of-doors. Aprotective layer of material 57 is positioned beneath the base B toprevent moisture from entering the base B. Special cover plates 58 mayalso be added to the lower surface of the base for covering the bottomof the slots 16 so that dirt or other foreign matter cannot work upthrough the same.

The pit 56 is filled to the point 59 with sawdust or shavings, providingprotection for the user of the equipment.

In the operation of this new and improved mounting M for gymnasticequipment, .when the pieces of equipment to be used are selected,-thelock nut 21 and the nuts 20 are loosened and the standards S imoved tothe desired position ,in regards to the space to accommodate theparticular equipment being used, and then the nuts are again locked inplace holding the standards Sin afixed position. p p 7 g Having thusdescribed the preferred embodiments of the invention, it should beunderstood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may beresorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claims; q a

Whatisclaimedis:

1. A gymnastic equipment support comprising a generally fiat rectangularhorizontal base, said base having three transversely extending spacedapart parallel slots formed therein adjacent each corner thereof, astandard assembly positioned in upright relation adjacenteach corner ofsaid base, a pair of outwardly and downwardly sloping braces havingtheir upper inner ends rigidly secured to said standard assembly, andmeans on the lower end of said standard assembly and on the lower end ofeach of said braces releasably securing said assembly andsaid braces intransversely adjusted position in said slots, said standard assembly andsaid braces having the lower ends thereof extending into said slots andhaving means thereon for clamping asid braces and said standard assemblyto said base, said .last mentioned means comprising a flanged sleevethreadably engaged on the lower end of each of said braces and saidstandard assembly with said flange engaging under said base and thesleeve extending through said slot and a clamping nut engaging over saidbase in clamping cooperation with ,each of said flanges.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said standardassemblies is provided with means for supporting a gymnastic equipmentleg telescopically mounted in said standard assembly. 5

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS v-Boone Nov. 3,-1914 1,490,608 Gilmour Apr. 15, 1924 2,703,742 BeckerMar. 8, 1955 2,817,522 Margulies Dec. 24, 1957

